Two bombs have exploded outside a government building north of Baghdad, killing at least 35 people.

Iraqi officials say a car bomb and another explosive went off Tuesday in the town of Taji, about 20 kilometers north of the capital. They say more than two dozen people were wounded in the blasts.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

On Sunday, attacks targeting Iraqi police and soldiers killed at least eight people, and a rocket attack on Baghdad's fortified Green Zone killed three women and two children.

Separately, the United States on Tuesday opened a consulate in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra, a burgeoning oil-industry hub.

The U.S. embassy is expanding its diplomatic presence in Iraq, as the U.S. military prepares to withdraw about 50,000 remaining troops from the country by the end of this year.

Violence in Iraq has dropped sharply since the peak of sectarian violence in 2006 to 2007. But Sunni insurgents and Shi'ite militias continue to carry out bombings and other attacks, many targeting Iraqi security forces.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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